In Dutch Limburg and Belgian Vlaanderen, the asparagus (Asparagus officinalis, member of the Lily family) harvest runs from March until 24 June; traditionally, the Dutch season is opened on the second Thursday of April. You see in the fields parallel long small mountains of earth, where the asparagus hide themselves. The asparagus belongs to the family of lilies. They exist in white but also green; the latter have lived their lives above the soil. Asparagus have been consumed by mankind for thousands of years. Some people think asparagus are a bit chewy, but the secret is in the preparation. Break off a few centimeters of the bottom side; peel them, don't be too careful with that, until up to 3 centimeters from the head. Cook them 4 minutes and leave them another 15 minutes in the hot water. Fancy asparagus pans are beautiful but also expensive and they do not add a lot to the taste of your dishes.